Opening morning success full of ups and downs!

[hirshey]

Thanks! Yesterday and today were the hardest days of the season: meat cutting and not getting out to help pals. Made it out for a morning hunt with two friends, and saw two does and two bucks: one BARELY legal that they passed on... it was a spike by forked horn with an eyeguard on the forked side. Talk about a weird little fella! Also, one forked horn no eyeguards. Hope we have more luck tomorrow!

[hirshey]

No luck today: one two point chasing a doe, a spike, one nice 4 point shed and a handful of scattered does. The coyotes sure are fat and happy this year, though! 

[Wanttohuntmore]

Congrats to the double for the couple!  I love the mass on those bucks.  Nice looking deer!  I also believe those rats will get there day due to the bad karma!  Bad juju!  I think there are just some pathetic people out there in all walks of life.  Glad Eyeguard maintained his cool though, things can get ugly.

[hirshey]

Congrats to the double for the couple!  I love the mass on those bucks.  Nice looking deer!  I also believe those rats will get there day due to the bad karma!  Bad juju!  I think there are just some pathetic people out there in all walks of life.  Glad Eyeguard maintained his cool though, things can get ugly.

Thanks Wanttohunt - congrats on your beauty, too! Scoped out the As He Lays photo.. pretty gnarly terrain that fella was hanging in!

[Wanttohuntmore]

Yep, that area was a little steep.  One of the areas I've overlooked the last 20 yrs or so, but now will start paying more attention to.  For the first 4 days of the season I did not see a soul in that spot, but the day after I shot mine, I watched a guy pick a path through there that was prime, he knew what he was doing, but was one day too late.

What's the outside width on your bucks?  They look nice!

[hirshey]

Yep, that area was a little steep.  One of the areas I've overlooked the last 20 yrs or so, but now will start paying more attention to.  For the first 4 days of the season I did not see a soul in that spot, but the day after I shot mine, I watched a guy pick a path through there that was prime, he knew what he was doing, but was one day too late.

What's the outside width on your bucks?  They look nice!

Very cool.. its nice to find those spots that get overlooked.. that's usually where you can find a few bruisers! My boyfriend tagged out this year and 3 seasons ago in the same spot, probably 200 yards difference! When its a good holding area, they'll be there, for sure.

You know.. we didn't measure before we sent them off to the taxidermist! I think inside was 22 1/2 for mine, and 21 for his. His is taller and carries a little more mass all the way through, and has some awesome stickers on the back side we didn't really photograph well, and mine is definitely wider: the inside would have been much wider if it weren't for the fact he forks in the front on his right and on the back on his left.. same harvest area/genetics as mine the year prior:

[hirshey]

I just ended up with his massier, older brother this year. 

Both really great big bodied boys, though. Couldn't be happier with how the freezer is stacked.

[Wanttohuntmore]

Those definitely look well fed!  There's something to be said about genetics and feed in an area that will produce year after year.